Page 57 of Trial of Deceit

“That’s not true.”

Ashari hissed her teeth, then waved her hand.“Play the next recording.”She listened with a scowl as the meeting with Elias played.

“They’ll be hiding drug baggies in the plyboards?”Toby asked, and Ashari nodded.

“Yes.They’ll clean money through the car marts, per usual, and deposits will be done through the wholesales, but this is a temporary arrangement.You have the date when they’ll start the drug imports.So, set up the bust, extract me, and move in.”

“Anything about the guns?”Toby asked.

Ashari shook her head and sighed.“No.”

“Then we’re not ready to arrest him.”

“I’m tired of waiting.Jediah plays the long game.His entire family does.I’ve been inside with them, and I know that they’ll continue to drag us along if we allow them to.Jediah’s been constantly looking over his shoulder since what happened to his father became public knowledge.The force has had assumptions about the Richardson family, but we’veneverbeen this close.This is the perfect time to arrest Jediah.He’ll be spooked and slip up.Maybe if you put all of your faith into me like you always do with Romar, I can even get Kayon arrested, too.”

Toby allowed a moment of silence to pass before he sighed.“Where’s Romar?”

Ashari’s eye twitched from irritation before she looked at Toby.“Romar is dead.I killed him.”

Toby’s eyes widened.“Whatdid you say, Ashari?”

Ashari almost laughed.“You heard what I said, so I won’t repeat it.We can’t let emotions cloud our judgments, right?”

Toby gaped like a fish.

Ashari reached over to snatch the earring from Toby.He slowly fixed his posture, unable to remain unfazed as he processed Ashari’s words.

“You can’t give it to Tsai for her to upload it yet,” Ashari said while slipping her earring back in place.“I want to be there.”

Toby cleared his throat.“Where?”he asked, his voice lacking that powerful bass Ashari was used to.

Ashari turned her head toward the window.Her reflection scowled at her.“Jediah Richardson’s arrest.”

Chapter thirteen

Asharislowlyopenedthedoor, revealing the silhouette of Jediah’s body on the bed.The room was dark, but not dark enough where she couldn’t see his chest rising and falling lightly.She entered the room, slowly closing the door behind her before she took quiet steps into the bathroom.Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she was removing an earring when movement from the door caught her.

Jediah crossed his arms, his forearm muscles popping as he leaned on the door jamb.“Where did you go?”

Ashari’s face blanked.“You neva have anybody follow me?”

“No… I thought you’d want space.”

“And wa you think now?”

Jediah shrugged and pushed himself off the door jamb.He took long strides toward her.She didn’t move as he stopped before her.He palmed the side of her face, angling her head upward to see her more clearly.His brows knitted.For a moment, she wondered in which world she would’ve reached up and rubbed away the creases.

Because it wouldn’t be this one.

It could never be.

“I’m sorry, Ash,” Jediah said, surprising her with how sincere he sounded.“Everyone makes mistakes.If I’d known…”

“You’d what?”she asked, scoffing before he could answer.“It shouldn’t matter if it was me or not.The right thing to do would’ve been to come help or call the police.”

He gulped hard.“I know, but mi caan’ afford fi live in the past.”

“Why not?”she challenged.“Because you don’t know how long it took me to start showering again.You don’t know how I had to go to therapy for years of my childhood, and it helped me so good until my mind suppressed most of the memories on its own.But you, Jediah… Everything you touch, you ruin.You bring out the worst in me, and I hate that I’m married to you.”

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